In the electric universe cosmology,
explosions, dying stars, and collision are replaced by plasma phenomena
for the production of such beautiful and intricate structures.

The following description of the Butterfly Nebula appears on the
Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for Feb. 1, 2004:.

"Are stars better appreciated for their
art after they die? Actually, stars usually create their most artistic
displays as they die. In the case of low-mass stars like our Sun
and M2-9 pictured above, the stars transform themselves from normal
stars to white dwarfs by casting off their outer gaseous envelopes. The
expended gas frequently forms an impressive display called a planetary
nebula that fades gradually over thousand of years...Much remains
unknown about the physical processes that cause planetary nebulae."

The electric universe or plasma cosmology
explanation is different. This nebular formation seen here, one of the
most beautiful and distinctive, seems to be a variation on the
ubiquitous "hourglass" or "butterfly" shaped glow-discharge structure
observed in other nebulas. Sometimes this funnel-shaped formation
is seen as a ring or offset oval rings when viewed "up the barrel".

It is not in space alone that we observe the
unique components of plasma discharge discussed here. The same
formations can be seen in the laboratory, though most astronomers remain
unaware that electrified plasma generates these observed forms.

The "hourglass" discharge configuration, which may
have nested hourglasses as viewed here, is forcing a
reconsideration of the physics of nebular formation. According to Raghavendra Sahai,
an astronomer at JPL in Pasadena, California, "What we thought we
understood of planetary nebulae we no longer do. Something different and
dramatic is going on." As to the dramatic shape and structure,
especially the nested hourglass; this
should all be a deal-killer for explosion-type theories, Sahai states, "It
is very hard to see how you get it." But the embedding of similar
configurations is not a surprise to experts on plasma discharge.